Mechanotherapeutic equipment



p F. KE'LHOFFER MECHANO- THERAPEUTIC EQUIPMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jul 12, 1944 1 INVENTOR Ilarezwe jfelho fjel' 7 BY MM ATTORNEYS Sept. 10, 1946. KELHQFFER 2,407,283

MECHANO- THERAPEUTIC EQUIPMEN T Filed July 12, 1944 SSheets-Sheet 2 I INVENTOR 20 Florence Kelby fer ATTORNEYS Sept. 10,1946. FPKELHOFFER 2,407,283

MECHANO-THERAPEUTIG EQUIPMENT Filed July 12, 1944 a Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR Florence 11 eZ/wff'er ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 10,1946 4 MECHANO'IHERAPEUTIC EQUIPMENT Florence Kelhofit'er, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application July 12, 1944, Serial No. 544,539

7 Claims. (01. 12s-24) 'I'he present invention relates to mechanotherapeutic equipment, more particularly of the type to stimulate nerves and circulation.

The present applicant has found that de-' cidedly beneficialeffects are obtained upon the human body by the exertion of sustained, uninterrupted, constant localized mechanical pressure for a period in the order of one half hour against fatigued, muscle bound, congested or otherwise afiected localities. Such pressure may be applied upon the thigh, the shoulders, the buttocks or any part of the body and is effective also when applied at the spine to effect adjustments in the nerve control of various organs.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive apparatus, that the operator may readily adjust to apply the delevel above the base and in any angular relation,

all for ready accommodation to any part or parts of the body of a patient of any size.

To this end, one end of each carrier arm I3 and I4 is desirably mounted in a corresponding socket 20 rigid and desirably integral with a clamp sleeve 2|. The clamp sleeve preferably encircles the standard and has a pair of cars 22 unitary there-' with into which extends the threaded end 24 of a clamp lever 23 for tightening the clamp about the standard at any selected height and in any, posi-. tion of peripheral adjustment about the standard.

Each cross arm I5, l6, 11, I8 is mounted in a corresponding clamp sleeve 26 thereabout, at right angles to clamp sleeve 21 which is integral theresired pressure to any one or more regions of the patient and in a useful application to afiord facilities for treating two or more patients simultaneously.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the equipment in use for two patients,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the equipment out of use and with the body presser heads removed from the carrying rods,

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal cross-section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and on a larger scale,

Fig. 4 is a view in transverse cross-section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a view in longitudinal cross-section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a view in longitudinal crosssection taken on line B6 of Fig. 1 and on a larger scale, showing one embodiment of presser head installed thereon, and

Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are perspective viewsof various specialized embodiments of presser heads...

Referring now to the drawings, the device includes a pedestal or base H from which rises a standard or post l2, upon which are mounted one or more, desirably two, transverse horizontal car rier bars I3 and 14, each of which in turn mounts one or more, desirably two, cross arms l5 and I6 and I1 and I8 respectively. The cross arms in turn mount the holders H for the body presser shanks S.

The device is desirably universally adjustable with and embraces the carrier arm l3. Each sleeve is clamped about the corresponding arm by a clamp lever 21- carried by the corresponding pair of ears 28 on the respective clam sleeves. Thus,

' each cross bar may be positioned and locked anywhere lengthwise of the corresponding carrier arm, and to extend along any radius at right angles to such arm.

Each cross arm carries one or more presser shank holders H adjustable along the length of thecross arm. To this end a holder block 3|] has a shank 3| extending through corresponding apertures through the jaws 32 of a clamp sleeve 33, tightened by a threaded head 34 upon the threaded end 35 thereof, which thus serves simultaneously to afiix the holder and to affix the clamp sleeve in desired position upon the cross-arm.

The presser shank S extends through a transverse aperture 36 in holder 30 and is adjustably clamped in position by the knob 31 of a bolt 38 threaded into the holder and engaging the presser shank.

The presser shank is desirably made up of an upper sleeve 39 which extends through theholder and ,is clamped by the bolt 38, and a lower rod 4!! telescoped into said sleeve and connected thereto by a-coil spring 4! enclosed in said sleeve, afiixed at one end as for instance by nut 42 to the rod and afiixed at the other end as at 43,

ably, the upper end of the sleeve has an enlargement or button 44 thereon for convenience in handling. The lower end of the rod 40 is desirably threaded at 45 to permit the removable mounting thereonof the presser head F which is equipped with'a suitable socket 43 integral therewith for such purposafl 1 The presser heads desirably come in sets of various conformations and sizes appropriate to the particular part of the body to be treated.

In Fig. 7, for instance, is shown a presser head useful for treating an elongated member such as the upper arm or the thigh. The socket 46 is afiixed to a rigid longitudinal bar 41 to which is soldered or welded one side of a column spring 48. The contiguous convolutions of such column spring afford intimate contact with and apply pressure to contiguou regions of the body, resiliently resisted by spring 4|.

In like manner Fig. 8 shows an embodiment in which the bar 4'! is curved in a plane at right angles to the axis of socket 46 and Fig. 9 shows a member in which the bar 41 is curved in the plane of the axis of socket 46.. Each of bars 41' and 41 mounts a column coil spring 48' and 48 respectively, soldered or welded thereto. The embodiment of Fig. 8 would serve for engagement of a fiat body area adjacent a protruding organ, such as the breast for instance, while the embodiment of Fig. 9 would serve to straddle a leg or arm for instance, in each case to apply sustained pressure.

Fig. shows an embodiment for localized point pressure, where a limited locality or localities are to be treated. In this embodiment a simple rigid round disk-shaped head 50 is screwed about the end of the rod 40 at socket 46.

In Fig. 1 is shown another embodiment especially useful for treating a soft portion of the body such as the buttocks, for instance. In this embodiment an elongated coil spring 5| is telescoped at its opposite ends over two of the presser shanks 52 and 53. The end convolutions of the spring may embrace the lower threaded ends of the respective presser shanks and the intervening length of the spring 5| extends in a generally U-shaped conformation between the mounting shanks for resilient pressure against the body. The spring may extend as shown in the right of Fig. 1 between two presser shanks 52 and 53 carried by the same carrier arm M, or as shown at the left of said Fig. 1, it may extend from shank 54 on. one cross shaft I 6 to a corresponding shank 53 on a second cross shaft, l5.

It will be seen that the device may be mounted on. the operating table or on the floor adjacent the operating table. and that the carrier arms and cross arms may readily be adjusted and clamped in position and the. suitable presser heads be afiixed in the manner set forth at each region. where desired. The equipment may thus be adapted. for. resiliently applying the desired pressure to any one or more locations on the body of a patient of any size, and in the specific embodiment shown, the device is adapted for such treatment of two patients simultaneously but could be extended for treatment of as many patients as desired.

Manifestly the device could be adapted for treatment of a patient in sitting rather than reclining position, if desired.

,As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mechano-therapeutic apparatus comprising a standard having a plurality of carrier bars, each having a mounting clamp on the standard and adjustable longitudinally thereof and one or more members, each having a presser head, said members being adjustably clamped with respect to the corresponding carrier bar, each of said members including resilient means interposed between the clamp and the head thereof.

2. A mechano-therapeutic apparatus comprising a standard, a horizontal carrier bar adjustably mounted thereon for selected height upon said standard, a cross bar adjustably mounted upon said carrier bar for selected distance thereof from said standard, a body presser member adjustably mounted upon said cross bar and at right angles thereto, and resilient means interposed between the presser member and the cross bar for resiliently limiting the pressure against the body.

3. A mechano-therapeutic apparatus, comprising a standard, a carrier arm, a mounting socket for the latter, a clamp rigid with said socket, adjustable in position longitudinally and peripherally of said standard, and a body presser loop comprising a U shaped member having a pair of legs and a coil spring body pressing connector therebetween, said carrier arm having mounting clamps adjustably clamping said legs in place.

4. In a mechano-therapeutic apparatus, a carrier bar, a clamp encompassing the same, a presser shank holder affixed to said clamp, a presser shank extending transversely through said holder, a bolt for aflixing said presser member in position, said presser member including a sleeve, a rod telescoped therein, a body presser head mounted on the end of said rod, and a coil spring within said tube afiixed at one end to the rod and at thev other to the tube and resisting the pressure against the body.

5. The combination recited in claim 4, in which the presser head is removable from the shank for attachment thereto of any selected presser head of shape or conformation adapted to the portion of the body to be treated.

6. A body presser head for a mechano-therapeutic apparatus, comprising a, bar having an attachment member rigidly affixed thereto and a coil spring body presser extending longitudinally of said bar and rigidly aifixed thereto at each of its. convolutions.

7. A mechano-therapeutic device comprising a standard, a horizontal carrier bar thereon, a mounting socket for an end thereof, a clamp rigid with the socket, encompassing said standard and adjustable longitudinally and peripherally of the latter, a pair of cross arms each having a, mount ing socket, clamps rigid with the respective sockets and encompassing the carrier bar, means for adjustably affixing each clamp in any position longitudinally and peripherally of the carrier bar, each of said cross bars having one or more holders adjustably mounted along the length thereof, and body presser shanks adapted to be adjustably clamped in the respective holders, one of said body presser shanks comprising a pair of rods mounted in passages through the respective holders, and a U-shaped coil spring body presser connector mounted at its ends upon said rods.

FLORENCE KELHOFFER. 

